GCSE Philosophy / Critical Thinking Tutors & GCSE Philosophy / Critical Thinking Tuition

Personal Description:
After leaving school, I studied at Nottingham University for a BA in Music, then for a MA in Theology from the London School of Theology. Having worked for a while at an inner-city secondary school, I went on to complete a research masters and a PhD in Biblical Studies, whilst working as a teaching affiliate at Nottingham University. I have since moved to Stourbridge to work in a local church whilst continuing academic research and writing. My own interests are principally in theology, philosophy and politics, but also the arts and culture. I am married, have five children, and am a keen football fan (Manchester United).

Teaching Experience:
I have taught at secondary school (Religious Studies) and at several Universities; I have also worked as a private tutor for over a decade with students of all abilities.

Tutoring Approach:
I'm happy to be flexible in my approach depending on the particular needs of each student. I'm happy to concentrate on what is needed to get good grades, but alse believe that education is about more than being able to pass exams! I have worked hard for my qualifications and belive in disciplined, productive study; however for some students getting the highest possible grade is not necessarily the most important thing. Each person is an individual with different strengths, weaknesses and aims, so I try to structure how I teach around individual needs and goals. When teaching I also believe that giving people self confidence, an ability to think critically and an enjoyment of the subject is an important part of helping them to improve.

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Personal Description:
Over the past 12 years, I have enabled hundreds of students to maximise their potential in GCSE, AS/A-Level and IB examinations.

I completed my PhD in 2015 (University of London), which was about the philosophy of folly in Shakespeare's plays. Having worked as a school teacher, university lecturer and held fellowships at Kingston University and the University of Athens, I currently teach Shakespeare at the CEU and run my education company. I have published two books, one based on my PhD and one on social psychology, as well as numerous articles on literature and philosophy.

Whereas English Literature, Language and Philosophy are my primary disciplines, I have also taught German and History up to A-Level standard in schools in Britain. I believe education is not simply a means to an end; rather, it offers exciting and new ways of thinking about ourselves and the world around us. In my spare time, I enjoy writing and skiing.

Teaching Experience:
My teaching experience is fairly extensive and I have taught both in the UK and abroad. I have taught at schools (GCSE, IB and A-Levels) and universities in the UK, as well as leading Shakespeare workshops across Europe, when I worked for the British Council.

Tutoring Approach:
I believe the key to successful tuition is communication. I set clear goals for my students and ensure that they are always prepared and confident in their exams.

Depending on the students needs, I assist with academic writing and how best to fulfil the exam boards' specific Coursework Assessment Objectives or we focus on exam techniques to ensure the best possible outcome. Alongside my personal tuition, I provide my students with extensive digital resources, developed by my company, for free. I encourage discussion and debate and enjoy learning from my students. Over the past 12 years, I've found them to be consistently engaging and inspiring.

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Personal Description:
Some of my tuition takes place via Skype or Zoom. Most students are very comfortable with this method of learning. However, I also travel to student's home's within a reasonable distance.

I am a very experienced teacher, head of faculty, head of sixth form, examiner and writer. I have recently worked for one of the major examination boards on the new specifications for both G.C.S. E. and A-Level.

During my career as a teacher I have taught English, philosophy and religious studies to Advanced level and English, history, religious studies, geography, and citizenship to G.C.S.E. I also specialise in developing study skills and examination techniques in a range of subjects. I have prepared VI form students for university and UCAS application, including Oxbridge, and acted as a mentor to new entrants to the teaching profession.

I am also a freelance writer specialising in education, social, religious and moral issues. I have written and designed e-learning resources for two international educational e-learning-platform providers.

Teaching Experience:
My teaching experience at Key Stage 3 & 4, G.C.S.E. and Advanced level has been extensive. I am an examiner for two major exam boards and have diverse experience of creating original teaching resources tailored to the needs of pupils both individuals and classes.

I have spent most of my career teaching across the ability and age range in 11-18 comprehensive schools although I have also taught in a Sixth Form College and the independent sector.

I have also been a part-time on-line tutor for one of the Oxford colleges and also tutor on-line.

I have served on several school boards of governors as a foundation, teacher and parent governor. I am currently Chair of Governors at a local primary school.

Tutoring Approach:
I believe that the key to success for most pupils is to develop their skills and self-confidence to enhance their ability to successfully complete their examination by developing study skills and examination techniques.

My first session with a tutee and their parents is to establish their needs and goals. Together we draw up a plan of the work which we will pursue. This plan will be reviewed regularly and a progress report compiled.

Each of the subsequent sessions comprises of:
review of any homework set
review of any problems which have occurred that week
lesson on a topic previously decided upon

My primary aim is to help my tutees overcome any difficulties which they are having with their work and to help them to achieve their goals both in the short-term and the long term. Secondly, I aim to give my tutees confidence in their own abilities and to help them develop their skills necessary to succeed in their examinations.
Relevant homework is set as a means of reinforcing the development of skills since assessment and feedback procedures largely rely on this.

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Personal Description:
I have a degree in Theology from Cambridge and I have been tutoring RS and philosophy full-time since 2010. Feedback from my students emphasises my friendliness, understanding of the specification and my ability to teach exam technique. They particularly like my digital resources, including exemplar essays!

In August 2024, several of my tutees who were predicted a D or C when I started with them achieved A and A*s. No student of mine has achieved below a B in the last three years. Letters of recommendation are available on request.

Book me for a free one-hour trial session and we can take things from there! Online tuition is preferred.

Extracts from letters of recommendation (available in full on request):

"James is an extremely capable and sensitive tutor… he managed to turn things around completely for my son, and got him to really start enjoying theology again."
Mother of RS (OCR) A-Level student
Grade received: A

"My daughter got a D in her mock earlier this year ... You immediately set about lifting her spirits and inspiring her with high-quality one-to-one tuition. But for her to get an A really was at the top end of our expectations. You have made a big difference to one very happy 18 year old."
Father of A-Level RS (Edexcel) student
Grade received: A

"I cannot recommend James highly enough. He is punctual and thoughtful and I would not hesitate to hire him again in the future."
Mother of Religious Studies (Edexcel) student
Grade received: A

"James immediately established a very good working relationship with my daughter which encouraged her to really engage with the subject…I would highly recommend James as a tutor."
Mother of Religious Studies (OCR) student.
Grade received: A

"James was brilliant. Despite tutoring my two twin daughters at the same time, he adapted his teaching style to suit both of them differently…. he boosted their confidence and increased their essay writing skills. He provided a large amount of digital handouts which they also found useful. Both girls ended up with very high As in all the topics he taught them in."
Mother of twin daughters taught in Religious Studies (OCR) and Philosophy (AQA).
Grades received: A

RATES
If there is a results-based bonus I am happy to negotiate the hourly fee.

Teaching Experience:
I have thousands of hours of tuition experience built up over ten years of full-time tutoring. Some of the specific subjects I have taught include:

Cambridge Pre-U Theology & Philosophy
Philosophy A Level (AQA, OCR and Edexcel)
Religious Studies (OCR, AQA and Edexcel) GCSE, A Level
Government & Politics (Edexcel and OCR)
Theology and Religious Studies at degree level (I have helped six different students receive good grades for third year RS dissertations)
Oxbridge applications and interview practice

Tutoring Approach:
Receiving tuition can be a bit daunting at first, so I try to make sure my students feel I`m on their side and there to help them with anything they might not feel able to figure out at school.

My approach to tuition is to assess what specific needs a student has and then to organise the sessions around those needs. Some students need essay technique help and some have a specific set of topics they want to go over. Others might need an entire course taught to them as they have left school or are being home educated.

In my years of tuition, I have built up a cloud-based digital archive of hundreds of handouts which can help a student get back on track and achieve the highest possible grade.

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Personal Description:
Hi, I'm Ash! I am an experienced and approachable tutor, a husband and father, CRB and DBS checked, specialising in English, History, Theology, Philosophy, and Politics.

I hope I can help you out!

Ash
MA BA (1st Class Hons)

Teaching Experience:
I have been tutoring since 2008, supporting students up to PhD level, and have taught courses for regional leaders in learning and skills development for young people and adults.

Tutoring Approach:
I tutor A Level and university students, supporting learning and achievement with a thorough, helpful, client-centred approach, at home or in other learning environments.

Please contact me to talk about your learning needs.

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Personal Description:
A resident of Edinburgh for the past twelve years I enjoy meeting new people and learning new things myself. I am fairly well travelled, enjoy the arts and have a passion for working alongside others to help them achieve their goals.

I am a professional actor with degree level qualifications in both Philosophy (Dundee University) and Acting (Queen Margaret University College).

Teaching Experience:
I have worked with adults in improving spoken and written English for UK degree entry level. I have also worked with college and university students in the Middle East (UAE) to train science and drama education in both Arabic and English.

For several years I have visited schools in both the public and private sectors delivering reading, drama and science communication classes.

I have regularly taught 5-15 years drama in private classes and enjoy working with pre-drama school entrants of all ages in working on giving the best entrance audition possible.

Tutoring Approach:
I am confident at creating a structured approach that works with a pupil's own strengths and needs to provide a tailor-made package for learning.

Ideally I meet with each student to discuss their learning needs, current level and expected outcomes.

Although it is important to push the boundaries of learning, it should always be a workload that is both manageable and individually tailored.

People learn best when they are enjoying themselves, so I try my best to make learning fun and interactive.

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Personal Description:
With over 90 dissertations completed with a specialist in Qualitative Research (Critical Discourse Analysis, Grounded Theory, Thematic Analysis, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Heuristic and Relational Analysis) all achieving 2/1's and above I can offer complete support.

I also provide essay support for students, teaching content style, how to research, reference and build an argument to achieve a good 2/1 with quick results or for the student who wants to learn about critical analysis and logic a more comprehensive support to gain a 1st.

I also provide exam preparation and support for those who have anxiety and need to prepare well ahead for the examination. As a trained therapist I adopt a person centred style to achieve results.

Teaching Experience:
My teaching experience is extensive, having taught at Kings on the Medical Course for a number of years, Birkbeck and SOAS as well as South Bank University. Currently I teach on the Masters Course and have supervised numerous dissertations to a high level. My expertise is in qualitative methods where I did one of the first phenomenological Doctorates looking at the lives of male substance users, whilst working with them therapeutically.

I currently work with students to do qualitative dissertations ranging from Kings, UCL, LSE, Goldsmiths, Queen Mary's and City Universities. I can work all the way up to Doctorate level and have worked with four counselling psychology students, two criminology, one Sociology and a Psychology student. At Masters level I have worked with law students, nurses, Social Workers and Sociology students.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to tutoring is drawn from Bruner, Vygotsky and Rogers, based upon scaffolding the student to build their confidence and expertise so they begin to develop their own expertise. Within an exam for example students require a deep knowledge of understanding of what is required and therefore need support to be able to do this. Essay writing requires a different set of skills, such as being able to research a topic and move to building an argument. For many students this requires considerable scaffolding at first.

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Personal Description:
I am a philosophy student at Roehampton University. I am from the South Downs in Hampshire, where I lived until I was 18. I have been studying here in London since September 2017. Back home I am the oldest of four, and this had enabled me to be able to understand how to make learning fun for a wide range of ages, as our ages vary from 8 to 20 years. My hobbies include playing football, listening to music, and reading. I was previously employed as an after school nanny so have a DBS check that is valid.

Teaching Experience:
Teaching assistant every Wednesday for an academic year at the infant school in my home town.
Shadowed History department at my secondary school the year after I left.
Working as a nanny I had to help the boys I looked after with their homework. They were 6 and 8 so was helping them learn very basic skills.

Tutoring Approach:
I have always been naturally able to write especially well, and am enthusiastic about the subjects I study. I have found it easy to pass on this enthusiasm for learning to younger people, and I especially am able to connect with younger kids on tasks they would usually struggle to find fun. I am basically happy to tutor any subject at GCSE level apart from maths, science (natural, computer, etc). Social sciences are my particular strength.

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Personal Description:
Hi I'm passionate about teaching and supporting students to learn

Teaching Experience:
I'm an experienced teacher who has worked in FE and HE . I have taught 11plus Sociology, Study Skills and Critical thinking. I have a PGCE and have taught ALevels and GCSE and in FE and HE

Tutoring Approach:
I'm very interested in listening and am very flexible but also can create a structure programme of support

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Personal Description:
I am a teacher and examiner for GCSE and IB. I have a PGCE and also a PhD.

Teaching Experience:
I have over 10 years of international teaching experience and have references as well.

Tutoring Approach:
I can tutor both online and in person. I have plenty of resources and lots of of experience with the curricula.

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Personal Description:
I am a master's level qualified practitioner with many years of teaching experience. I currently teach at the Royal College of Art, Loughborough University and UAL.

Teaching Experience:
Exams
Portfolios preparation
Portfolio Review
Assessments
Briefs
Crits preparation
Presentations review

Tutoring Approach:
Individual and tailored approach for every individual to achieve really strong and critically engaged outcomes.

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Personal Description:
I am a Philosophy and English language teacher from Southampton, England, currently residing in Stapleton, Bristol.

I hold a First Class Honours degree in Philosophy from Cardiff University (2017-2020) and a Master of Research in International Development from the University of Bath, awarded with Merit (2020-2021). Additionally I have a TEFL diploma.

Teaching Experience:
My teaching journey began in Granada, Spain, where I worked at ITACA Centro de Formación, instructing students across various proficiency levels (A1-C1) and preparing them for IELTS and Cambridge examinations. I developed engaging lesson plans tailored to students' educational needs and provided targeted interventions to enhance learning outcomes. Upon returning to the UK, I began to work as a Philosophy tutor adapting lessons to individual learning styles and supporting students in improving their communication skills. This diverse experience has honed my ability to teach complex subjects effectively to a wide range of learners.

Tutoring Approach:
In my philosophy tutoring, I emphasize a personalized and student-centred approach. I believe in adapting my teaching methods to meet the unique needs and learning styles of each student, fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment. My focus is on developing critical thinking and analytical skills essential for success in philosophy. I am well-versed in the AQA A-level Philosophy specification, which offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to develop students' interest and knowledge in the subject, as well as their analytical and critical thinking skills. Additionally, I am knowledgeable about the Edexcel Religious Studies A-level.. My goal is to equip students with the skills and confidence needed to excel in their examinations and to cultivate a deep understanding and appreciation of philosophical inquiry.

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